Here in the benefits world, there doesn’t seem to be a slow year. A lot happened in 2021 so my fellow podsquad members and I took a look at the top benefits stories of the past year (which has become our year-end tradition!) Plus, we gave our best attempt at making some predictions for 2022.

Our 2021 predictions included:

  • COVID-19 vaccinations
  • ACA Supreme Court Decision—California versus Texas
  • Health Care Coverage Transparency Rules
  • SECURE Act 2.0

While our predictions were pretty accurate, we also discussed what actually shook things up for the benefits industry in 2021, including:

  • American Rescue Plan Act
  • Cybersecurity
  • Mental Health Parity
  • Telemedicine
  • Supreme Court decision on LGBTQ+ rights, Bostock versus Clayton County

You’ll have to give the episode a listen to find out what’s on our 2022 benefits watch list! Our predictions may or may not be accurate for the year ahead but one thing that is always certain—uncertainty. There are many unknowns surrounding issues bubbling up for benefits right now and that seems to be a constant refrain for the industry.

We’ll be covering trending benefits topics, interviewing fantastic experts for deeper dives, and addressing breaking news items so stick with Justin, Julie and me for more Talking Benefits episodes in 2022! 

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Anne Patterson

Marketing Communications Manager at the International Foundation

Favorite Foundation Product: Foundation Community. It’s like LinkedIn but only for Foundation members. They can post questions, share best practices, etcall with fellow members who also live and breathe employee benefits.

Benefits-related Topics That Interest Her Most: Workplace wellness (especially mental health), diversity, equity and inclusion, behavioral decision making, family-friendly benefits, payroll audits.

Personal Insight: When she’s not busy analyzing the inner workings of her toddler’s brain (does anyone actually know?!), Anne finds joy in home renovation and décor, haiku writing, watching Jeopardy, creating charcuterie boards, and bicycling.

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